Born in Harlem March 1, 1927, to Jamaican and Martiniquais immigrants, Mr. Belafonte spent much of his childhood in Jamaica before returning to New York at 13. He dropped out of school to join the Navy during World War II, where his fellow Black sailors urged him to immerse himself in Black history. While stationed in Virginia, he met Marguerite Byrd, who further encouraged him. They were married in 1948.